The provincial government has since requested all those involved to leave the site to allow authorities to conduct a proper inspection, amid fears the people digging at the site could potentially be spreading coronavirus. Some people have started selling the stones, with the starting price ranging from 100 rand ($9.41) to 300 rand ($28). The coronavirus pandemic has made it worse. South Africa's economy has long suffered from extremely high levels of unemployment, trapping millions in poverty and contributing to stark inequalities that persist nearly three decades after the end of apartheid in 1994. Long lines of parked cars on both sides of the gravel road could be seen just a few metres from an open field, where crowds dug through the soil with picks, shovels and forks to find riches. The lack of an analysis of the stones has not deterred fortune seekers. The mines department said on Monday it was sending a team of geological and mining experts to the site to collect samples and conduct an analysis.Ī formal technical report will be issued in due course, the department said. Now we standby for news from the Mintek and GCS teams.The unidentified stones have attracted fortune seekers to the village after pictures and videos were shared on social media. Zikalala did point out that the large gatherings also posed a COVID-19 risk, and could become super-spreader events. Maybe if the provincial government wasn’t both inept and corrupt, residents wouldn’t be so desperate for a long shot at something that might lift them out of poverty. We call for order and calm and urge all those involved to cease their operations and vacate the site so as to allow the DMRE to conduct a proper inspection of the site and of what has been discovered there,” Zikalala said. “We are worried that if not brought under control the situation could result in chaos and a possible stampede. Premier Sihle Zikalala also weighed in, and talked about safety concerns: The Mintek and GCS teams will include a geologist and will focus on establishing what exactly are these items that have been discovered KwaHlathi… said the second team includes officials from the Council for Geoscience and Mintek, which is the council for Mineral Technology. The Department of Minerals and Energy has promised to send a team to the site, and there are also further measures being taken to verify the nature of the find: Video : supplied #DiamondRush /zy1oyIhPQz The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has noted with concern, the reports of illegal mining activity taking place at KwaHlathi outside Ladysmith KZN PREMIER CALLS FOR ORDER AMID REPORTS OF A “DIAMOND RUSH” IN KWAHLATHI NEAR LADYSMITH Yesterday, KwaZulu-Natal provincial government spokesperson, Lennox Mabaso said the department has “noted with concern, the reports of illegal mining activity taking place at KwaHlathi”: Yet another example of dubious use of the word ‘literally’: The same outlet reports that another person could be heard in the background, saying “you are all wasting your time, those are not diamonds.” Look at how rich I am,” the man says as he opens his hand to show the shiny stones. “Tell everyone at home, aunties, uncles and sisters that poverty is now a thing of the past. In the second video, reports The Witness, the man is definitely counting his chickens before they’ve hatched: Here’s one of the widely circulated clips: Some believe they have found precious and highly valuable stones, although others say it’s more likely that would-be miners are actually digging up quartz crystals. The village, located outside of Ladysmith, has been inundated with visitors looking to strike it rich, with videos and images circulating on social media only further fuelling the fire. KwaZulu-Natal’s KwaHlathi village is at the centre of a so-called ‘diamond rush’. Story About Beyoncé’s South African Diamond Is Getting Messy.Record-Breaking Black Diamond Likely Came From Space."The Scourge Of De Beers" - Meet The Real Diamond Mogul Referenced In 'Tinder Swindler'.De Beers Just Sold This Blue Diamond For A Whopping Figure.Fascinating Look At West Coast Diamond Miners Looking To Strike It Big.
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